Members of a group of 10 killer whales, including two family groups, who visited the waters close to Dana Point Tuesday. The "transient" whales come from the Monterey area.

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Killer whales near the surface just off Dana Point on Tuesday. The whales are likely feasting on sea lions, said marine biologist Alisa Schulman-Janiger.

The 10 killer whales off Dana Point Tuesday included two family groups of "transient" orcas, which range up and down the coast. They are rarely seen off Orange County.

The killer whales seen off Dana Point Tuesday included two family groups, with females and their offspring.

The 10 killer whales seen off Dana Point Tuesday included two mothers and their calves, said marine biologist Alisa Schulman-Janiger, who has been tracking orcas off California since 1984.

A male killer whale known as CA51B off Dana Point Tuesday. Marine biologist Alisa Schulman-Janiger, who has been tracking killer whales off California since 1984, says this whale is part of a family group that seems especially friendly toward boats, and people.

Killer whale known as CA140. Marine biologist Alisa Schulman-Janiger, who tracks killer whales off the California coast, says the behavior of killer whales has many parallels with that of elephants, the older females often in charge.

Whale watchers view killer whales off the coast of Dana Point.

On Tuesday January 3 2012 transient killer whales off Dana Point California shocked passengers on Manute'a, a whale watching Catamaran sailboat, when they killed a sea lion (shown above) and dragged it under the vessel between the two hulls. The whales circled the sailboat feeding on the sea lion and swam right up to the underwater viewing pods on the vessel giving the passengers inside these unusual viewing pods the thrill of a lifetime. The whales, which are not normally found in southern California, stayed with the boats from Capt. Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari until sunset, then headed up the coast towards Newport Beach.

Killer whales, rarely seen off Orange County, appeared near Dana Point Tuesday, to the delight of whale watch passengers. They are "transient" whales from the Monterey area that range up and down the coast, said marine biologist Alisa Schulman-Janiger, who tracks the whales.

Two siblings, CA140A and CA140B, swim near a whale-watching boat off Dana Point Tuesday.

One of a group of 10 killer whales seen off Dana Point Tuesday. The photographer, Drew Post, said the whales were "putting on a great show" as they came close to the boat he was on, operated by Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching.

Sea lion with two gray whales off O.C. Both are hunted by killer whales.

Fluke of an orca, or killer whale, seen off Dana Point Tuesday. Some of the whales are from a group known to be friendly toward people and boats.

Killer whale known as CA 140 and one of her offspring, CA 140B, off Dana Point Tuesday. Marine biologist Alisa Schulman-Janiger, who has been tracking killer whales off the California coast since 1984, says they are "transient" orcas that range up and down the coast.

The group of 10 killer whales seen off Dana Point Tuesday included two family groups, one known for being especially friendly toward people, said marine biologist Alisa Schulman-Janiger, who has been tracking killer whales off California since 1984.

The group of 10 killer whales seen off Dana Point Tuesday included several who seem especially curious about boats and people.

The killer whales seen off Dana Point Tuesday are likely feasting on sea lions, and are among the "transient" orcas that range up and down the coast, said marine biologist Alisa Schulman-Janiger.

A group of 10 killer whales appeared off Dana Point Tuesday, playing near whale-watching boats even as they hunted sea lions — a rare sight captured in a series of stunning photos.

Drew Post, who grew up in Lake Forest and now lives in London, drew a strong response when he posted his pictures of the orcas on Facebook.

“I’ve never gone on a whale-watching trip in my life,” said Post, who shot the photos while aboard a boat operated by Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching. “These guys were on top of the water most of the time, playing around, swimming, putting on a great show.”

The 10 actually belonged to two family groups, said marine biologist Alisa Schulman-Janiger of the California Killer Whale Project, who has been tracking killer whales, or orcas, off Orange County since 1984, and knows them individually by sight.

One mother called CA51 appeared with her four offspring, including a daughter with two calves of her own.

The other head of a family group, CA140, was traveling with her two juveniles.

The CA51 group, typically seen off Monterey, are known as “transients” because they range up and down the coast.

They make only occasional forays this far south, Schulman-Janiger said.

“They’re pretty known in Monterey for being extremely friendly,” she said. “They’re the most boat-friendly transients up there. I’ve found them to be the same down here.”

The killer whales appeared during an unusually early start for the southward migration of gray whales, which they sometimes hunt as prey.

But Schulman-Janiger said the orcas are less likely to target gray whales on their southward trek. Instead, they aim for calves on their way back north from the Mexican lagoons the gray whales use as breeding spots and nurseries.

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